Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg

Published on: February 18, 2026

One Month of Self-Driving Taxis in Miami. What to Know.

Just over a month after Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service was launched in Miami, the company is already facing dubious safety concerns.

Videos of one of the company’s autonomous vehicles stopped on the Venetian Causeway Bridge and causing a traffic backup went viral online last month. The incident sparked conversations online centered around safety.

Mykel Kochenderfer of the Stanford Intelligence Systems Laboratory told reporters with NBC 6 South Florida that companies like Waymo hoping to launch these programs “need to get it right.”

Published on: February 18, 2026

Two Dead in Broward County Crash Wednesday. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two drivers were killed Wednesday in a fiery, wrong-way crash on U.S. 27 in Broward County, according to media reporting.

The tragic crash occurred around 12:25 a.m. at Mile Marker 37 and involved a white Land Rover Discovery and a white 2013 Nissan Altima, officials with Florida Highway Patrol told reporters with The Miami Herald. The Nissan, driven by a 24-year-old woman, was headed south in the northbound lanes where the Land Rover was driving north and the two collided.

The Land Rover caught fire and the driver was trapped inside. Both drivers died at the scene.

Published on: February 18, 2026

Warnings Issued Over ATV Usage. At Least Eight People Dead.

By Leesfield & Partners

Several warnings have been issued regarding all-terrain vehicles in the U.S. over the last several months following the deaths of at least eight people in recent weeks, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The warnings were issued in late 2025 and early 2026 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding specific brands of ATVs. Among them was an Aunvito MX Moto youth ATV with the CPSC stating that the vehicles violate mandatory standards for youth ATVs, including failing to meet mechanical suspension requirements. This creates a crash hazard. Another issue flagged by the agency is that the vehicles’ surfaces exceed maximum temperature requirements and pose a risk of burns. The handlebars could potentially pose a laceration hazard if a child were to come into contact with it at a high rate of speed. The vehicle is also missing required safety reflectors.

The agency also issued a warning last month for Nakto Youth ATVs sold o Amazon, which exceed speed limits for children 6 years old and older. These vehicles also have a suspension and handlebar issue.

Published on: February 10, 2026

Florida Home’s Possible Carbon Monoxide Leak Kills Four, Including Children. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police are citing carbon monoxide poisoning as a possible cause of death for four people, including two children, who were found inside a Marion County home Friday, Feb. 6.

The bodies were found Friday night after police were called out to the home on Banyan Track Way for a wellness check, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida.

No official cause of death has been released by the coroner’s office. Police did tell reporters that no foul play is suspected and that they believed the family had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Published on: February 9, 2026

‘One Moment of Inattention’ Has Severe Consequences: Leesfield & Partners Files Lawsuit on Behalf of a Severely Injured Monroe County Bicyclist

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of a man who was ejected from his bike following a crash on Stock Island with a commercial truck driver.

“This driver’s one moment of inattention has left my client with life-altering injuries,” said Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm. “This frightening incident has left him in severe pain, causing a disruption to his daily life and happiness.”

The incident occurred just after 2 p.m. on Jan. 13 as our client was approaching the intersection of College Road, where he had the right-of-way to proceed. At the same time, another man behind the wheel of a commercial truck was approaching from the opposite direction and failed to yield, plowing through the intersection and making an illegal left turn. In doing so, this driver hit our client who was then ejected from his bicycle and sent into the air before eventually falling onto the hood of another vehicle. He was then thrown onto the road.

Published on: February 5, 2026

Uber Driver Lost Control of Car, Crashed in Little Havana. Why?

By Leesfield & Partners

A rideshare driver who lost control of her vehicle on Saturday, Jan. 31, crashing into another car and a building, said that her passenger assaulted her, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The incident happened around 1:45 a.m. in Little Havana near Southwest Sixth Avenue near Seventh Street. The woman, a driver for Uber, said that she was driving a man in her backseat when he allegedly covered her mouth and attempted to grope her.

The driver told police she had lost control of the vehicle in the struggle and crashed into another car and a building. Videos posted online after the fact show the mangled vehicles and damage to the building.

Published on: February 5, 2026

DNA Evidence, Community Tips Help Police Find Man Accused in Rape of Florida Memorial University Student

By Leesfield & Partners

Several tips from the community and alleged DNA evidence helped police find and charge a man they say raped a student at Florida Memorial University on Sunday.

Steven Devon Mason Rivers, 30, was charged with sexual battery and robbery by sudden snatching related to an incident on Sunday at FMU’s campus along the 15800 block of Northwest 42^nd Avenue in Miami Gardens, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The incident occurred around 6 a.m. when a woman, a student at the school, left her dorm with plans to meet a friend for a ride to her volunteer position at a sports camp. When her friend called to cancel, she began heading back to her dorm. It was at a bus stop across the street from the school that she saw a man who “whistled at her,” the newspaper reported.

Published on: January 23, 2026

Viral Online Videos Show Mayhem at Free Concert Featuring Artists Such as Calvin Harris and John Summit.

By Leesfield & Partners

Pushing, hordes of people crushed into a tight space and pandemonium are what can be seen in various clips that have gone viral online of the free Miami Beach concert over the weekend.

The event, allegedly featuring artists such as Calvin Harris and John Summit, was hosted by AT&T in partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship. Ahead of the weekend, barriers and other accommodations were seen being set up in Miami Beach ahead of the weekend in anticipation of about 20,000 people, according to reporting from The Miami New Times. However, as news spread of the free, all-ages event, it became clear that the crowd that had amassed was far larger than expected.

An estimated 30,000 people arrived at the event location, the outlet reported. Crowds can be seen rushing security and storming through barricades until police officers rushed to stop the crowd. At one point in the night, organizers issued a statement alerting concertgoers that they were at maximum capacity and would not be permitting anyone else to enter.

Published on: January 23, 2026

Fort Lauderdale Limits Who Can Be in Playgrounds Following Harrowing 2023 Dog Incident. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Nearly three years after a 5-year-old girl was attacked by a dog in a Fort Lauderdale park, the city has adopted an ordinance that limits who can be at playgrounds.

The ordinance designates playgrounds within city parks as “exclusive children play areas,” meaning adults are not permitted unless they are with a child, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. At least 44 parks will be equipped with signs that outline the ordinance.

The decision comes after the parents of the child at the center of a horrific 2023 dog attack. The incident happened while the child was with her mother at the playground of Hortt Park, located at 1700 SW 14^th Ct. The two were allegedly approached by another woman and a 60-pound dog. While the two adults were talking, the animal suddenly attacked the child, according to previous reporting from the Miami Herald. Reporters noted that, according to a police report, the dog owner attempted to hold the animal back but was unable to when the dog’s “leash or collar broke.”

Published on: January 14, 2026

Have You Seen This? Investigators Describe Vehicle Allegedly Involved in Miami Hit-and-Run.

By Leesfield & Partners

Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office are looking for the driver of an SUV they believe was involved in a crash that injured a motorcyclist in Miami, according to reporting from local media.

The crash happened on Jan. 6 around 11 p.m. near Northwest 54^th Street and 22^nd Avenue. Police say that the vehicle, a red 2017 GMC Yukon Denali, was traveling in the opposite direction of a motorcycle when the two crashed.

She was taken by emergency responders to a local hospital for injuries and remained in stable condition as of Monday afternoon, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.